Three sides, all of them pointy
by Cathedra1
Summary: Implied Valant and Thalassa. Thalassa comes early to the latest rehersal, and makes a discovery that perhaps she never wanted to learn. oneshot really short


Thalassa decided it wouldn't hurt to go to practice early. Her fiancé wasn't going to be there for another ten minutes, and it wouldn't hurt to see the stage before rehearsal began, anyways. Their props were already on the stage, and all the animals had been appropriately taken care of. She adjusted her top hat, looking for the entrance of the designated area.

Entering the room she saw Valant, who'd apparently been there for quite some time

She stared at him as he sat on a discarded prop, getting a few extra minutes of rest before they tried the trick again. She'd known Valant for a long time; he'd always been a great friend to her for as long as she could remember. She knew that Zak was a better magician, true, but Valant still completed the troupe, she couldn't forget that. Without him, the little 'family' of theirs wouldn't be complete. He was simply just sitting there, however, tracing patterns on the ground with the tip of his cane.

"Valant?" She said, walking from behind the curtain. He looked up and saw her stride into the ring.

"Ah, Thalassa." He replied, his face warming into a smile. He took his staff into his hand, rubbing the side of it with the fabric of his gloves. "How are you doing on this delightful day?"

She returned the smile. "I'm fine." She said, looking up towards the far exit. She'd had a lot on her mind lately, and it was nice to have someone to talk to. "I'm really excited, actually." She clasped her hands together, bouncing a bit on her heels. "The day is coming, and I can hardly believe how fast life has gone by in the last few years,.."

His eyebrows rose. "Ah?" He asked. "But we've perfo-" His facial expression changed. "Ooh." He said slowly, obviously remembering. "The wedding. Is it really coming up that fast?" He asked, keeping a smile on his face, chuckling a little under his breath.

She nodded. "Zak is almost done with the wedding preparations. He's looking so hard for a performer for the reception, I have to keep reminding him that not everyone will be up to the standards of the Gramaryes." She laughed quietly, feeling a bit of tension in the room. Her bracelet seemed to tighten beneath the white glove, but she ignored it. It had gone of almost constantly lately with her nerves.

"If he preferred he could always have me perform parlor tricks. Or perhaps you could have it be both a reception and a routine. Perhaps the lovely bride and groom vanish before the guests' eyes, only to reappear beneath the icy layers of frosting." He mused, twirling his staff around his arm. He'd gotten quite good at it, she noticed. "A feat fitting for the fine couple." He didn't actually look at her. He seemed to be more preoccupied in keeping the balance of his twirling staff.

"Maybe…" She sighed, realizing that she wasn't actually going to get much of a reaction from the magician. He seemed to have gotten a bit angrier lately. "Look, I know Zak has been a bit… careless in some of the tricks, but you don't need to be brooding over it. You're just as talented as he is." She pointed out. She'd been able to sense how irritated he was when Zak was around, especially when he did better on a routine without even trying. She didn't need a bracelet to tell her that.

He laughed quietly. "If I'd been bothered by his brand of enchantment, I wouldn't have joined this troupe." He shook his head. "No, Zak hasn't been any more… humble than his usual haughty character." He said, finally locking his gaze with her.

She laughed. "Yes, but he's still the man I love." She replied wistfully.

Something hit her. She felt her bracelet tighten just ever so slightly and saw it. His chest caved in for just a second and she saw his eyebrows twitch. "That's quite the man you're in love with. A looker too." He tapped his chin. "A-Oof!" He said, falling forward.

A flash of pink had appeared behind him. "Care to repeat that little comment?" Zak said, holding his fists on his hips.

"You will regret that, you scoundrel!" Valant replied, pulling his arm back for retaliation, but faltering before following through with it. His mouth had tightened to a line. "So finally decided to depart from our little detour?" He asked Zak, who shrugged him off. Since all three were there, practice was to begin, as it did.

-

Once it was all over, Thalassa watched Valant walk out, and knew. She saw the way he'd always acted around her, and she'd wondered about the slump in his step. It was clear now, however.

She had no control over the situation, however. It wasn't as if she could make the feelings vanish as easily as she could a dove. She might even be able to make the entire audience disappear before she could change the fact that Valant was in love with her. She felt her chest feel somewhat empty, watching him amble out of the ring. He was one of her best friends; he'd always been there for her.

She'd remembered how he'd always given up his spot when she wanted to be there, no matter how much he'd anticipated being in _that_ part of the show. She recalled how he'd always tried to one-up Zak, especially when she was around. She remembered the kindness that he'd shown her when she returned from her former Husband's funeral, the way that he tried his hardest so console her, even though he didn't really know how.

He was her best friend in this world.

But she didn't love him.


End file.
